The invention relates to a cartridge that is detachably attached to an electric stapler.
As shown in, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. Hei. 4-54683, a conventional electric stapler is of such a structure as to releasably attach a cartridge to an electric stapler main body, the cartridge accommodating a plurality of staple sheets in multi-layered form and having a pressing spring for pressing the accommodated staple sheets downward from the top. The main body includes: a mechanism for sequentially feeding the staple sheets within the cartridge attached to the main body from the bottommost one; a forming means for forming a staple in the front end of the fed staple sheet into a square U-shape; and a driving means for driving the formed staple toward a material to be stapled. Therefore, once all the staple sheets within the cartridge have been consumed, the old cartridge is replaced with a new cartridge and then scrapped.
However, the cartridge main body excluding the staple sheets is made of synthetic resin and contains therein the metal spring for pressing the staple sheets. Therefore, the disposal of the cartridge main body as it is imposes a problem in terms of environmental protection.